Hello again and welcome to another two birds one stone posting. Today I would like to introduce you to another little side project that I currently have on the go, The Haptic Track Pad, and whilst I’m at it, also provide you with a little code so that you too can apply simple touch screen technology to your Arduino applications.
The Haptic TrackPad
Designed primarily for those with visual impairment, the Haptic Track Pad is a peripheral input device that utilises force feedback to afford the user with an enhanced sensory experience in a similar manner found within contemporary gaming peripherals and mobile technologies such as smart phones and tablets.
To see prototype one in action check out the following video:
My research into Assistive Technology peripheral development has indicated that on the whole as a device the standard laptop/net-book track-pad is usually completely abandoned by those with VI’s, resulting from artefact’s's such as incompatibility with screen readers and/or positional point of reference bearing.
This is a shame and a big problem especially as as we progress further towards Weisers Third Wave of computing. Many interfaces are now becoming touch screen dependant and as mobile and tablet computing grows in strength so too does an influx of potential new barriers for those with disability.
The Haptic TrackPad utilises a combination of technologies to alleviate the restrictions commonly found by those with visual impairment, for example PWM can be used to vary the feedback given for a variety of uses such as iconic hot-spot indication and/or physical boundary identification and even some novel uses such as per-pixel indication of image and/or colour.
Continue reading ‘The Haptic TrackPad – Arduino & PSP Touch’
I have high hopes for this little piece of kit 
